Purdue Petrology Suite
We investigate the chemistry and mineralogy of volcanoes and planetary interiors using a variety of experimental and analytical techniques.
Research Facilities
The Purdue Petrology Suite is part of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University. Our facilities are located within the Delon and Elizabeth Hampton Hall of Civil Engineering (HAMP), Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering (ARMS), and Herbert C. Brown Laboratory of Chemistry (BRWN) buildings on Purdue's Main Campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Gas-Mixing Furnaces
We will have four Deltech vertical gas-mixing furnaces and one Deltech horizontal gas-mixing furnace. These furnaces can be heated up to 1700°C at room pressure. The oxygen fugacity of the furnace environment can be controlled using different gas mixtures and monitored throughout the experiment. We will also have additional high-temperature furnaces without gas-mixing capability available for sample synthesis or preparation.
Electron Probe MicroAnalyzer
We will be installing a JEOL JXA-iHP200F Field Emission Electron Probe MicroAnalyzer (FE-EPMA) at Purdue. External users will be able to apply for analytical time on the EPMA through our NASA-funded PRECISE facility. With the EPMA, users can quantify the concentration of elements boron through uranium in a range of materials relevant to earth, planetary, and materials science.
Piston Cylinder Apparatuses
We will house two Rockland piston cylinder apparatuses. The piston cylinders can be used to study materials at pressures up to 4 GPa and temperatures up to 2000°C. Our facilities will also include a "mini machine shop" with which to machine assembly parts for high-pressure experiments.
Multi-Anvil Press
We have a 1000 ton Rockland multi-anvil press for conducting experiments at pressures 3-30 GPa and up to 2500°C. The instrument is in the process of being installed and calibrated. Anyone interested in conducting a multi-anvil experiment should contact Kelsey Prissel for additional information.
Petrographic Microscopes
We have two Leica DM2700 P petrographic microscopes each equipped with an imaging system. These microscopes can be used to investigate and image thin section samples in both transmitted and reflected light. Anyone interested in using one of the petrographic microscopes should contact Tabb Prissel.
Sample Preparation
We will have a variety of equipment available for sample preparation needs including cutting, epoxy mounting, and polishing. Our lab can support grain mount and thin section preparation.
People
Kelsey Prissel
Assistant Professor
Kelsey Prissel studies the chemical evolution of planetary interiors. She conducts high-temperature laboratory experiments and geochemical analyses of igneous rocks in order to develop a crust-to-core perspective of planetary bodies. Kelsey investigates planetary differentiation and volcanism from an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates experimental petrology, sample analysis, isotope geochemistry, diffusion chronometry, geochemical modeling, remote sensing, and field work. Her research has explored igneous processes on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and Mercury.
Tabb Prissel
Assistant Professor
Tabb Prissel is an igneous petrologist focusing on the evolution of planetary crusts (Earth is a planet, too!). With perspective rooted in sample observation and analysis, Tabb then integrates experimental petrology techniques, orbital mission data, and geochemical modeling to study the earliest history of planetary surfaces and their transition to secondary and tertiary crust building processes. General topics include primary magmas, magma-rock interactions, magma oceans and impact melt seas, and field analog studies.
Mike Eddy
Assistant Professor
Mike Eddy is a field geologist and geochronologist interested in the timescales of igneous processes. His research reconstructs past events through detailed observational studies complimented by laboratory experiments, quantitative models, and geochemical measurements. This approach is used to quantify the rates of petrologic and tectonic processes in fossil geologic systems. He is PI of the Radiogenic Isotope Geology Lab that houses a TIMS instrument within Purdue EAPS.